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Cook County gun tax


Stratomaster18

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Hello.

 

I’m helping my dad make his first firearm purchase. Unfortunately he lives in Cook County. If I tell him the have the handgun shipped to an FFL outside of Cook County does he still have to pay the $25 tax? Is it based on your residence address or the address of the FFL?

 

Thanks!

 

 

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If the seller is outside of Cook County, I do not think that the Cook County firearm tax applies. The FFL is not selling the gun, but charging a transfer fee.

The buyer would still liable for sales tax, if purchased in Illinois, or use tax if purchased from out of state.

 

https://www.cookcountyil.gov/service/firearm-and-firearm-ammunition-tax

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Either buy at a retailer outside of Cook County or purchase online and have it sent to any FFL in Illinois. Even if the FFL is in Cook County, there will be no Cook County tax for online purchases handled by any FFL. This only applies to Firearms bought from a retailer inside of Cook County. I may or may not have purchased several firearms online and had my local FFL handle the transfer and he is located in Cook County. As he didnt sell me the firearm, no Cook County tax.
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Either buy at a retailer outside of Cook County or purchase online and have it sent to any FFL in Illinois. Even if the FFL is in Cook County, there will be no Cook County tax for online purchases handled by any FFL. This only applies to Firearms bought from a retailer inside of Cook County. I may or may not have purchased several firearms online and had my local FFL handle the transfer and he is located in Cook County. As he didnt sell me the firearm, no Cook County tax.

He is correct, I am a FFL 01 Dealer in Oak Lawn, IL and the Cook County Tax applies only to firearms I sell from my business location. I sell at gun shows that are outside of Cook County; Kankakee Gun Show, Kane County Sportman's Show, etc. and I don't have to charge the CC Tax. Also, my GB Sales/Out of State Sales are exempt because of interstate commerce, so I have been told but gotten no clarification from Cook County, but I report to them that my out of state sales are exempt and have not been challenged on them so far.

 

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Cook County tax or FFL transfer fee

Savings is minimum amount

Yes, because I have to charge sales tax and the $25 CC Tax my margins are small, I am typically about $5-$15 higher than the online seller about half the time. Many gun owners say they will support the little guy but after a year of business that's not entirely true. I will break it down; new gun owners don't mind the few dollars higher, people who are trying to get a "hard to get firearm" don't mind a few bucks higher half the time, but actual gun owners do mind. Interesting right, might not be the same for all dealers but for me that seems to be the way it is.

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... I report to them that my out of state sales are exempt and have not been challenged on them so far.

I half-expect you could send them a letter saying you defy the tax for all sales, and they wouldn't bother to follow up, just because they know it would cost more to enforce the tax than they'd get by collecting it. They rely on voluntary compliance.

 

I'm not actually suggesting that you try. As an act of civil disobedience, it would probably be pretty ineffective. If they did decide to enforce the tax, they'd probably make sure it hurt you more than them.

 

I'm just saying that, for a couple of bucks here and there, they probably just don't care.

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I won't buy a gun in Crook County for this 25 dollar reason but will go to Will County and drive back to Crook all the time to buy a gun.

I understand you totally, none of us dealers want to charge the tax but as Obama said, "elections have consequences." It disappoints me that I hear so many people really rant about the tax but made no effort in calling their elected CC officials during that time. I am not saying you, but I have had quite a bit of people that buy online for this specific purpose while CC Dealers are getting pushed out of Cook County because of these taxes. I have asked quite a bit of people, "what did your CC elected official say when you called to complain about the tax?" Most, especially new gun owner say, I never called, I will just buy online and use a transfer guy to bypass the tax. Consumers win, business loses, that is the actual goal this law was intended to do.

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... I report to them that my out of state sales are exempt and have not been challenged on them so far.

I half-expect you could send them a letter saying you defy the tax for all sales, and they wouldn't bother to follow up, just because they know it would cost more to enforce the tax than they'd get by collecting it. They rely on voluntary compliance.

 

I'm not actually suggesting that you try. As an act of civil disobedience, it would probably be pretty ineffective. If they did decide to enforce the tax, they'd probably make sure it hurt you more than them.

 

I'm just saying that, for a couple of bucks here and there, they probably just don't care.

 

I wonder what would happen if all the CC Dealers did go this route. You are correct, it is a voluntary compliance. I spoke to the guy who is in charge of audits last year around this time and he said he is so busy that the County got him concentrating on gas tax. He told me he has not audited one gun shop yet, and this was in June or July of 2019.

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I bought a High Power in Lake County last summer and was pleased to be able to add a Sig P238 Legion to the sale when I picked it up... should have picked up at least one more. A couple weeks later I found another High Power in Cook... totally forgot about the $25 tax, and I couldn’t add another gun to the purchase. I was happy anyway.

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I won't buy a gun in Crook County for this 25 dollar reason but will go to Will County and drive back to Crook all the time to buy a gun.

 

I understand you totally, none of us dealers want to charge the tax but as Obama said, "elections have consequences." It disappoints me that I hear so many people really rant about the tax but made no effort in calling their elected CC officials during that time. I am not saying you, but I have had quite a bit of people that buy online for this specific purpose while CC Dealers are getting pushed out of Cook County because of these taxes. I have asked quite a bit of people, "what did your CC elected official say when you called to complain about the tax?" Most, especially new gun owner say, I never called, I will just buy online and use a transfer guy to bypass the tax. Consumers win, business loses, that is the actual goal this law was intended to do.

The Ds on the board don't care and have a huge majority. Especially when it comes to guns, the dynamics are lock step. They only pause on things like excise taxes their base rises up over. You are talking about an electorate that reelected Kim FoXXX.

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I bought a High Power in Lake County last summer and was pleased to be able to add a Sig P238 Legion to the sale when I picked it up... should have picked up at least one more. A couple weeks later I found another High Power in Cook... totally forgot about the $25 tax, and I couldn’t add another gun to the purchase. I was happy anyway.

It must have been a company policy. I tell my customers that all the time and it seems like when they come they want to see if I am "bull---" them. On the time of pick-up, they will ask for that 2nd firearm and we will do the paperwork b4 the 2nd signature and my signature is written. That is the most important part, if you sign on pick-up before you ask to purchase another firearm, its all over. A new form and background check needs to be done all over again. Then, my customers leave with a super happy smile on their face.

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I'm personally supporting my favorite dealer in Cook Co. If I don't they will have succeeded in driving all legitimate FFLs in Cook Co. Out of business. That's their goal anyway isn't it.

Thank you for your support. You don't have to buy from me but you support CC Gun dealers and that keeps guys like me in business.

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